Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Diversity is never having to be around a white person

Diversity still an issue on campus, some students say
Each day, University senior Josué Peña-Juarez carries more with him than meets the eye. He walks tall, brown glasses over his dark eyes, smile on his face as he immerses himself into everyday University culture.

The San Diego native grew up primarily speaking Spanish at home and received a bilingual education at school. Peña-Juarez said he constantly felt comfortable, surrounded by other students of color and other native Spanish speakers.

"We moved in the middle of winter," Peña-Juarez said. "I was forced to speak English; there was no one who looked like me. There was no one to speak Spanish with, so I spoke English." Peña-Juarez identifies most with being Chicano, in terms of social, political and cultural consciousness, he said.

Imagine a University student saying that he only "feels comfortable" when surrounded by other white students. This MEChA intern is upset that diversity isn't engaging in enough discussion about diversity.

How about this: it's not "diversity" to only feel "comfortable" with a group of people who share your ethnic background. If you don't think that the University of Oregon doesn't discuss diversity enough at this point maybe the problem is you. The rest of us are sick of this overused buzzword.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

In other words, should our intrepid videographer, Tennessee Tuxedo (aka Daniel Miglavs) find himself in the middle of large crowd of Latinos (who -- because this is Miglavia we're talking about -- are most certainly illegals and therefore naturally rapists, murderers and drug peddlers) Daniel would feel right at home. With ease, he would join in the various conversations, enjoy the subversive beans and tamales, and then dance a few cumbias before settle down to a few cervezas with the vatos. I mean, because he's so "comfortable" and all.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and by the way, Daniel -- if you're so sick of the word diversity why do you make it such a regular topic? You seem to obsessively comb thru all sorts of memos, job announcements, school notices, newsletters, pamphlets, brochures and other paper miscellany in a dogged search for the word.

Indeed, Daniel, enough already.

Anonymous said...

2:22 PM anon: Diversity...diversity, ...kinda rolls off the tongue doesn't it.

If it is applied to areas of color...pink, green, blue YES, it's OK, but black, white, or Brown...NO, it's over applied to point of exaustion, and I for one agree with Daniel.

hyphen African-American, hyphen is over used as well, drop the African and the "-"and this country will be a bunch better of right away.

Anonymous said...

Well, it seems that if you are white you better walk on eggshells around the sensitive topics and be careful. If someone of color says something that is offensive, well then we are to ignore it and not make an issue of it. I am sick of this double standard. You know, hispanics can be racist too. Oops, did I just type that? I am so sorry and I hope I did not offend anyone. I guess now I am labeled a racist.

Anonymous said...

"Diversity is never having to be around a white person"

This is true, and I would agree. There are so many of them already. Do we really need more?

Anonymous said...

Kill whitey! lol

Remember, hate crimes only work one way, white on everyone else. This country is built on bullshit.

Scottiebill said...

I've read that racism is no longer a factor in the U.S.

I say Bullshit!!!

If race is no longer a factor the why did 95% of all the black voters vote for Chaiman-elect Obama. Surely not all black voters bought into his line of crap. They voted for him because he is black.

Period! End of sentence!

Anonymous said...

In some states, it was as high as 98%. Please, do not sell the AA community short. ;)

Anonymous said...

AA community:hyphen African-American, hyphen is over used as well, drop the African and the "-"and this country will be a bunch better of right away.


Just a thought,If Biden is ever thurst into the office(LIKE LBJ)as a truck driver, I CAN SAY WITHOUT A MOMENTS PAUSE...JUST TRY AND GET ME OUT OF MY CAB.

Anonymous said...

Hey racists, the story of your scumbag ATTwater is being featured on PBS. What is good about this is all those good Americans watching will further see what the Repubican Party is really about.

Anonymous said...

Daniel, I just wanted to say that I think it's very clever of you, what you've put in your banner -- that Obama is a "libtard." I mean, that's hilarious! The genius of it is that you've managed to combine two words, descriptors of people you have contempt for, liberals and the developmentally disabled (retards) and combined them into a single word!

That's fucking brilliant! Next time someone questions your intelligence, I'd just point them toward your banner and they can see for themselves that you're actually a very bright boy. Nice work! ;-)

Anonymous said...

I like whitey. He is doing the best he can. I only wish he was from Africa!

R. L. said...

Anon 3:36 -

From what I've seen from developments in anthropology, whitey probably is from Africa. But keep it quiet, the folks in Palm Springs would be very unhappy to hear that.

Anonymous said...

Diversity = a pregnant man for the second time. I love it. Just wait until Bigot Miglavs hears about it. We can surely expect a post.

Anonymous said...

Daniel, if you are sick of the word "diversity," then maybe you should spend less time poking around the University of Oregon's web site. You'd encounter it less and would feel much better.

Anonymous said...

viva la raza, homes!

Anonymous said...

5:25, you have no idea what "diversity" is. Like a typical Oregonian who has never experienced true diversity, you think pointing to a freak show constitutes "diversity." Keep Portland Weird, right? You fucking dumbass...

Anonymous said...

Daniel kind of looks like the Pregnant Man. Take a look. Separated at birth, hey.